Strawberry licious…

strawberrylicious

Do you know the feeling you get when you eat a strawberry candy filled with strawberry juice? The way it fills your senses, the moment it bursts, and then melts, leaving your taste buds tangy and the tongue- ‘reddish or dark pink’.

The way it fills your senses, the moment it bursts, and then melts, leaving your taste buds tangy and the tongue- ‘reddish or dark pink’.

That is how I used to feel, when I saw those pretty ladies outside. I was five, and their flashy ensemble with red cheeks and glossy lips looked charming. I could feel it in the corners of my mouth. I always wanted to own the shiny little magical potions they applied.

Their mouth must taste like that strawberry candy, I told myself.

I used to eat beetle leaf, the strawberry candy or orange bar ice cream just to get those pink, red or orange lips. That would bring me closer to those goddesses of beauty. My mother scolded me whenever I tried and acted like this, or what she called ‘acted above my age’.

I dreamed of me being declared β€˜Miss India’ and the only thing visible in those glimpses of bliss were my shiny red lips. At nine, I had once caught hold of this magical stick in the closet. And I came out looking like a chimp.

Now at thirteen, my childhood antics make me feel so stupid. Though, till last year they all thought of me as a kid. I realized one grows up very fast. It took me just a night. I slept as a girl but, woke up like a woman.

In school, when I participated in the dance competition, the first fascinating thought that came to my mind was ‘make up’. I could officially put on the red thing on my lips now, I thought. The first peck on my cheek by Thanna Ammaa sent chills down my spine. She smelled like vanilla, like the bakery shop around the street.

All these and many more random thoughts came to my mind that night.

Sitting on the bed full of rose petals. My hands painted red, with alta. The gajra in my hair, the red nail paint, the red of my lips flushed my cheeks. He came that night. I curled a bit.

He came closer, tasted my lips and whispered “strawberry-licious.

But, for the first time, I craved for something else. Was this the reality I always wished for?

Red ‘I was’ in mind body and soul. But the mark of vermilion never touched me the way it did the rest.

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Every hour, four women and girls in India enter prostitution, three of them against their will

20 Comments

  1. A brilliantly piece! I sensed the twist in the beginning, but I prevented myself from being presumptuous. Riddhi, some very good way of conveying here.

    Well done! Keep them coming!!!

    Reply
  2. a splendid read! the first person rendition made it extra special!

    word verfcn: "bletter"

    n someone has stopped replying 2 comments n all ha? bade log…ab humare comments ki koi value nahi rahi ha?

    Reply
  3. Amazingly awesome article! One of ur bests! publish it!!

    And i agree with blunt about u not replying to comments! Kya baat hai?

    Reply
  4. @ Brose- thank you soo much.. i was very hesitant to post this one.. not because of the topic but i thought not everyone will get it.. and may be i havent done justice to it's intensity… Thank you so much.. this means a lot. πŸ™‚

    @Blunt- Thanks a tonneeee coming from u i feel 'bletter' (blunt+better=Bletter)

    heheh value hai janaab .. comments ke bina toh m tucch prani..without any manmaani.. πŸ™‚ sorry for late comments againnnn..

    @Nim- hehe publish koi nahi karega.. thank you.. m glad u liked it.. and lo lo lo reply to comments.. sorry i have been really lost and lazy all this while.. so reply late.. and dnt even comment on time on the blogs.. despite the fact that i am reading them all.. i like rajasthan post. after all that is my land.:)

    Reply
  5. Ahh! Amazingly told. I am just shocked!

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  6. @choco- why can't i see your blog anymore.. imiss ittt πŸ™

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  7. wah wah…humare comment ka asar toh lajawab nikla…saare posts me reply-comments!

    note 2 self: well done mere sher! πŸ˜€

    Reply
  8. a 'grown up' post from a mature writer…loved it
    πŸ™‚
    supreme stuff, seriously!!

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  9. I honestly would never have known that you could write like this, had you not written this… This by far the best piece you have written all your life. You can see that it has just come from within…. Brilliant work baby… You must keep writing like this

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  10. stunned into speechlessness. hence: *applauds*

    i love you more!

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  11. amazing bit of writing… I love the last line. One of your best till date πŸ™‚ Proudssss

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  12. Oh so ur from Rajasthan? Should have guessed… Full of colorful and interesting people…We even made friends with our Driver!

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  13. Narrated so well..
    The way you carried us to the crux of it was brilliant..
    (People say its a serious work and i wonder how on earth a slow processor dare to post this comment!)

    Reply
  14. thats got insight… i mean for a short story… i would say its extremely brilliant… really….i cant even define properly…because i am having a hard time taking it in… would it seem wierd if i said i am having a hard time breathing after reading it….

    really amazing…

    blog rolling you…. πŸ™‚

    take care and keep writing……….

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  15. wah wah! great piece of work!
    n btw I love the opening picture of this blog too..

    Reply
  16. Your post reminded me of the many Puritan values I grew up with. A lady with bright red lip stick could certanily not be Godly and then I met a Godly lady with bright red lip stick.
    Good post!

    Reply
  17. @Nim- Yep…

    @Slow Processor- Thank You hai ji. :)Long time no visit re..

    @Thousif Raza- Thanks. M sooo glad that u liked it. Welcom to the blog. πŸ™‚

    @Diwakar- Thank you and wlcome here.. and i ofcourse love alll your writing man.. wonderful work. Specially the idea of Post script. I think i told u that earlier..

    @Gray- M soo glad u liked it. πŸ™‚

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  18. Sheer brilliance!
    You just meandered from an innocent childhood wish to a young girl on the threshold of something new…and wound up the whole thing together, effortlessly…Very interesting read Riddhi. πŸ™‚

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  19. WOW!

    Didnt see that coming! Well done πŸ™‚

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  20. very sensitive story…i am well aware of the facts about how girls are forced into this…but this one captured every girl's childhood fantasies and dreams and how some people just sell both of 'em away…good one…very awakening

    Reply

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